2024-09-08 01:59:00
The soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition have been standing in Germany for almost half a century. It all started on May 8, 1945, when the Nazi government surrendered without a word. Thus, World War II, which was fought by the Allies six years ago, ended in Europe, which claimed the lives of at least 60 million people.
The German community is divided into four areas of work. The USA, Great Britain and France took important territories in the west, and the USSR – in the east. In 1949, two German states were created: the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, which, despite its name, was a communist dictatorship.
Division of Berlin
Changes at the national level are reflected on a smaller scale in the former capital, Berlin. And his colleagues are divided into four parts called sectors. But by this time tensions were growing in the relationship between the conquering powers.
The Berlin Wall stood here from 1961 to 1989. Photo: Sabine Lubenow/DUMONTpicture Alliance
As a result, the armed forces, created for special purposes, were divided into two hostile camps: the Western allies on the one hand and the communist Soviet Union on the other. The strengthening of relations was especially felt in Berlin. In June 1948, the Soviet occupation of West Berlin began. East German communists loyal to the USSR sought to establish control over the entire city.
The air bridge is a masterpiece of logistics
The US, UK and France responded to the blockade of the western sectors with a massive airlift. Until the end of the blockade in June 1949, Allied planes took off and landed at Tempelhof Airport around the clock to provide the 2.2 million inhabitants of West Berlin with everything they needed – food, medicine, gasoline and coal.
During the blockade of Berlin, the aircraft of the allies of the West made about 280 thousand flights: -/dpa/picture-alliance
During this time, about a hundred people died in plane crashes and other accidents. They are commemorated by a memorial at Tempelhof Airport, where planes land every two minutes. The story of this unprecedented success in logistics is part of the permanent exhibition of the Berlin Allied Museum in the former American sector.
The museum has an old cinema of soldiers
The building where the museum is located also history and reminds of the long-term presence of the Allies in Germany. Among other things, it once housed the military cinema Outpost America. And the street on which the museum is named after the organizer of the airlift, American General Lucius Clay.
Former Checkpoint Charlie on the border between West and East BerlinPhoto: Marc Vormerk/picture partnership / SULUPRESS.DE
The former Charlie Checkpoint on Friedrichstrasse, established after the division of the city by the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961, is also world famous. Through this checkpoint, military personnel of allied countries and diplomats can pass from West to East Berlin and vice versa.
Tanks in Berlin
In October 1961, a few months after the division of Berlin, this checkpoint became the site of a “tank confrontation” – a non-contact battle between the forces of the USSR and the United States. These days, the checkpoint is a popular attraction among tourists from all over the world and photography enthusiasts. The original border guard booth is in the Allied Museum, and a replica was installed at the former checkpoint in August 2000.
As for the tanks, you can still see them in Berlin. For example, in front of the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum is the former Soviet complex. Its permanent exhibition is built around the so-called hall of surrender, in which the end of World War II in Europe was recorded on May 8, 1945. Tanks also stand near the memorial to the Soviet soldiers who fell in Tiergarten, where at least 2,000 Red Army soldiers who died in the Battle of Berlin in 1945 are buried.
Gatow, Tempelhof and Tegel without the drone of the plane
Another site that commemorates the long-standing Allied presence is the Ghats airfield in the former British sector. The Royal Air Force remained here until its final withdrawal on 8 September 1994. Today, a branch of the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces is located on this site.
Former Berlin-Tempelhof AirportPhoto: Wolfram Steinberg/dpa/images association
But flights to Gatov military airport have long been stopped. The same decision happened to the airports in the former American and French sectors – Tempelhof and Tegel, which were previously used for military and civilian purposes. In both places, visitors can learn about the eventful history of the Allied countries.
Wooden Eiffel Tower
Another attraction will return to Berlin in November. A miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower made of wood will be installed in front of the French Center in the Wedding area. The cultural center was opened in 1961, and its activities, even after the withdrawal of the Allied forces, focused on friendly relations between Germany and France.
It has been 30 years since the last troops of the World War II soldiers left Berlin. Some of their barracks are now occupied by Bundeswehr troops. The Allied legacy appears primarily in historical contexts. But sometimes our past is based on many names of streets and squares – for example, in the district of Reinickendorf, which is part of the French sector, some of them still sound in French: Avenue Charles de GaulleAvenue Charles de Gaulle) Birth of Molière (Birth of Molière), Rue Montesquieu (Rue Montesquieu)…
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